Dangs violence isn't good for Indian culture,
says Sonia
Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said
the violence in the tribal Dangs district is "heart-breaking" and not
good for Indian culture.
Talking to reporters at Ahwa, the district
headquarters, she criticised the act of "creating differences" among the
tribals in the name of religion for deriving political mileage.
Replying to a question, Gandhi said she
had not come to the Dangs as a representative of any religion, but was
there as a Congress leader to understand the people's problems and to
express her feelings for them.
Gandhi arrived on Friday morning at Ahwa
from Maharashtra by helicopter. She was welcomed by All-India Congress
Committee treasurer Ahmed Patel, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief
C D Patel, Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Amarsinh Choudhary
and Congress Sewa Dal workers, who gave her a salute.
A GPCC press release in Ahmedabad said Gandhi
went straight from the helipad to Deep Darshan school and hostel in Ahwa
where the school authorities described the incidents of Christmas Day
to her.
Expressing grief at the damage caused by
the stoning, she described the act as "shameful" and expressed concern
at the attacks on educational institutions.
Gandhi also had talks with the representatives
of different institutions run by Christians in Valsad, the Dangs, and
Surat districts and received their memoranda. She assured the people that
she would make all possible efforts to ameliorate their lot.
Mingling with school students, Gandhi told
them she would make efforts to ensure government security for them. She
also visited Village Subir where a church, a priest's house, and two vehicles
were set afire by a mob.
A large number of people were present to
meet Gandhi and police had a difficult time controlling them. At Subir,
an old woman went to meet Gandhi, following which she alighted from her
car to speak to her.
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